Los Angeles and New York (July 22, 2012) – The National Board of Directors of SAG-AFTRA met today via videoconference in the final day of a regularly scheduled two-day plenary.
The National Board voted overwhelmingly (99.47%) to approve a motion urging the union and industry trustees of the SAG Producers Pension and Health Plans (“P&H”) and the AFTRA Health & Retirement Funds (H&R) to undertake expeditious and appropriate action to create a unified Health Plan for performers, broadcasters and others working under SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreements, and to implement immediately a reciprocity agreement between the two existing Health Plans.
The Board also urged the Plan Trustees to review the feasibility and advisability of creating a unified Defined Benefit Retirement Plan and reciprocity agreement between the existing Pension and Retirement Plans.
The Board specifically directed the Union-appointed Trustees of the Plans to treat as priorities the creation of a unified Health Plan and the immediate implementation of an interim reciprocity agreement between the existing Health Plans and to meet for the purpose of discussing the actions necessary to create a unified Health Plan and a unified Defined Benefit Retirement Plan.
The Board also received an update on SAG-AFTRA’s comprehensive organizing strategy from Assistant National Executive Director for Organizing Philip Denniston, whose team was instrumental in focusing intense member attention and activity around the music video industry and the negotiations on that contract.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:10 p.m. PDT. The Board next meets on October 27 & 28.
Follow SAG-AFTRA on Twitter (twitter.com/sagaftra) and Facebook (facebook.com/sagaftra).
About SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents more than 165,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. With national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide, SAG-AFTRA members work together to secure the strongest protections for media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.
###